w h i t e w a t e r • r i V e r • s e a • m u l t i s p o r t ... - Canoe & Kayak

and we were typically on the water for between
6 to 9 hours. Alexey had a few more swims in the
surf but we often managed to find more sheltered
spots to land. One day we found an old fishing
net full of fresh salmon, which fed us for almost
a week! The scenery was breathtaking – steep
rocky cliffs, jagged volcanoes, green valleys and
snowy patches. Alongside the many bears, we
glimpsed whales, sea otters, sea lions and the rare
Stella Sea eagle.
The sea showed us her power on occasions and
one day Alexey was swept away by a freak wave
that broke over a shallow reef. All I could see was
wisps of white spray as the ridge of water rushed
away from me. After what seemed like a minute I
saw a startled Alexey sitting upright in his kayak.
He was still in the danger zone, water dripping
from his hair, and trying to manoeuvre himself to a
limp red piece of material a few metres away.
“Leave your hat, Alexey” I shouted, “I’ll get it for
you.”
He didn’t need telling twice and paddled hard
out towards Hadas. I turned to shore to try to get
his hat but three breaking waves in a row hit me
and stopped me in my tracks. Stuff Alexey’s hat – I
turned and paddled to the others as hard as I could.
Once the big set was replaced by calm waters,
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